Beyond The Borders: Amazing Bali & Singapore

Kuta is the beach that made Bali famous around the world, a lively seaside resort on the island's south-western coast, beloved by surfers and young travellers for its long stretch of golden sand and the steady waves that make it perfect for learning to ride the ocean. The shore, one of the finest for watching the sunset, comes alive as the sun goes down, while inland the centre pulses with shops, markets, restaurants and an exuberant nightlife along its crowded streets. Kuta is home to the moving Ground Zero Memorial and, not far away, the Waterbom water park and the sea temple of Tanah Lot, reachable on an excursion. Its location, just minutes from the airport, makes it a convenient base for exploring the island. Energetic, accessible and always on the move, Kuta is the ideal destination for those seeking sea, surf and fun.

Ubud rises among the terraced rice fields and rainforests of Bali's mountainous heart, long recognised as the island's cultural and spiritual capital. Far from the beaches of the south, it draws travellers seeking art, wellbeing and a more authentic Bali of temples, sacred dances and drifting incense. The town's heart beats around Jalan Raya Ubud and the covered art market, where textiles, wood carvings and paintings blend into everyday life. Nearby stands Puri Saren Agung, the royal palace still inhabited by the ruling family, which hosts evening performances of traditional dance such as the Legong and the thunderous Kecak, sung by dozens of male voices. Along Jalan Monkey Forest lies the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, a sacred grove home to macaques and dotted with moss-covered temples. Just outside the centre, Pura Taman Saraswati enchants with its lotus pond, while the nearby Pura Tirta Empul, a sacred spring where Balinese purify themselves in the waters, and the rock-cut complex of Goa Gajah (the Elephant Cave) tell the region's long spiritual story. Around Ubud the landscape unfolds into some of Bali's most famous scenery: the terraced rice paddies of Tegallalang, shaped by the ancient subak irrigation system recognised by UNESCO, and the artisan villages of Mas, Celuk and Batuan, specialising in carving, silverwork and painting. Days may begin with a sunrise yoga class, a stroll along the Campuhan Ridge Walk through green hills, or a Balinese cooking class amid spices, sambal and babi guling. Further north lie excursions to the Tegenungan waterfalls and the volcanoes, while jungle-set cafés and refined spas complete the unhurried mood. Ubud is best experienced slowly, guided by the sound of gamelan and the endless green of the rice fields.

Bali’s beaches form the island’s most celebrated face, alternating golden stretches with volcanic bays of dark sand. Along the southern coast, Kuta and Seminyak draw surfers with their long swells and sunsets over the Indian Ocean, while Jimbaran shelters seafood grills at the water’s edge and Nusa Dua lines elegant resorts along calm lagoons. Further east and north, secluded coves such as Sanur and Lovina invite diving, snorkelling and dawn dolphin-watching. Everywhere the sand meets seafront temples, street-food stalls and Bali’s relaxed spirituality. A mosaic of shorelines for every holiday pace, from the southern nightlife to the contemplative quiet of the remoter bays.

Singapore is a city-state suspended between East and West, an island at the tip of the Malay peninsula that in a few decades has transformed into one of the most modern and prosperous metropolises in Asia. Its futuristic skyline is mirrored in the bay, dominated by the unmistakable shape of Marina Bay Sands with its ship-shaped terrace poised across three towers. At its feet stretch the Gardens by the Bay, visionary gardens where the Supertrees, artificial trees tens of metres tall, light up each evening in a show of lights. But Singapore is above all a mosaic of cultures: in Chinatown the Chinese temples coexist with mosques, Little India is fragrant with curry and jasmine, and Kampong Glam guards the great Sultan Mosque. The shopping avenue of Orchard Road, the colonial quarter around the river with its godowns turned into bars, and the island of Sentosa with its beaches complete the picture. Yet the true heart of the city beats in the hawker centres, food markets where for a few coins you can savour Hainanese chicken rice, laksa and chilli crab, the emblem of local cooking. Among orchids, tropical trees and vertical architecture, Singapore is South-East Asia in its most orderly, safe and surprising form—a gleaming gateway for those setting out to discover the region.